By Kyle McCarthy
Visionaries always encounter some form of resistance, but Junius Jones found his skeptics in particularly close proximity.
There were justifiable reasons for the doubts expressed during a family gathering on this mid-April night, though. Junius stood up on the eve of his father’s first game with the Colorado Rapids, gestured toward his dad and declared he would score on his debut for his new club.
Even Jermaine Jones could not contain his laughter. There are plenty of terms employed to describe the 34-year-old midfielder. Goalscorer rarely ranks among them.
“Now, OK,” Jones told ussoccer.com as he picks up the story. “I knew I’d play one position higher, but I said, ‘You know, Daddy isn’t scoring many goals.” He said, ‘Yes, yes. You will score a goal.” I was like, “OK.” In the moment when I scored, that’s why I put my hands up to him.”
The entire sequence – starting with those precious family moments the night before and running all the way through his winner – captures the past few months neatly. Jones is on a quest for personal and professional fulfillment. More often than not, the quest includes him exploring territory further afield.